No Name Boy
by TooMuchEffort
Summary: A young and ambitious teenaged Laxus accepts a job that his Grandfather gives him. It has everything he wants - the right amount of money, and maybe even his ticket to S class... He gets more than he bargained for when the boy who had requested turns out to be the greatest ally and friend Laxus has ever had...maybe even more than a friend... (rating may change as story goes on.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One – The boy with No Name.

 _In the year 776x – A young and ambitious fifteen year old wizard named Laxus Dreyar; the infamous grandson of Master Makarov, and Son of the S class wizard Ivan Dreyar, Set out on a long and arduous mission to take down a large dark guild known as 'DemonKing'. The guild used to be a part of the dark guilds baram alliance, before breaking away and striking out on its own when they had found something to revere and worship – what they had thought to have been the reincarnation of Zeref himself._

 _It had started causing trouble for surrounding towns and villages, the guild followed the commands of their 'King' with no question, even going as far as to destroy and enslave others under his tyranny._

 _In the year 776x, Laxus has no doubt in his mind that he'll bring back the Demon king's head; destroy the guild and the horrific disturbances quaking in Fiore – little did he know he'd meet an unlikely young ally – a boy, with no name._

 _Freeds journal – 20th July. Year 791x_

"Storm's brewing."

Laxus uttered after gulping down half of his drink, letting out a large sigh and dropping the tankard filled with a non-alcoholic drink down on the bar's counter with a thunk.

The Fairytail guild hall windows showed that Laxus was right – as soon as he had finished his mutter, storm clouds had flown over the once lush blue sky, the light becoming a dreary grey and thunder rolling and booming across the city of Magnolia. Usually the Blonde mage would be itching to grab a quick snack out there – but the last job he had taken took all the energy out of him. Who knew that city bandits could be hard to track down…

With a huff he pushed the tankard away and crossed his arms, fingers pulling at the worn hems of his yellow sleeves, the beat of the music adjusting in time to the thunder and lightning streaking across the windows. Blue eyes watched with mild interest at the bolts he could follow, left hand running through his wild hair.

"Ugh, such horrid weather – now I'm stuck looking at Scarlet's ugly mug until I'm allowed on my next job." Laxus raised an eyebrow when he saw Mira storming away from the request board, before chuckling with a smirk.

"Daw, is the demon a little riled up? I'm sure the storm will pass soon. Maybe…possibly…"

"Stop being a jerk blondie." Mira growled, Laxus shrugging and standing up. He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and walked up to the white haired teen with a smirk. She may be a demon, but Laxus always found her to not be as scary as stories and rumours about Mira suggested.

"Calm it chick, don't want your cute face getting stuck in a frown now do ya?" He teased, before patting her shoulder and walking straight past to take a gander at the request board for himself.

 _'Jeez…the requests **are** looking even more shit the more I look at them…and the rewards aren't anything to brag about either – how the hell am I supposed to pay rent on this crap?'_

With an annoyed sigh – the lightning mage went to sit back down, blocking out the gossip and chatter of his guild mates. He still didn't have enough money from the jobs he went on. His rent paid him the most out of whatever reward in jewels he could get – and then some for basic living.

He'd have to go on another job soon – but which one? All the good ones kept getting snatched up in an instant, faster than the lightning mage could blink; most of the crappy ones right now only went up to ten thousand jewels! That was barely anything, especially since a lot of them asked for the mage who had taken the job to travel, something that Laxus would prefer not to do as of right this second.

Sitting back down, he considered his options. Solo mission season would be soon – meaning that all the guild mates that frequented the hall will be clamouring for jobs In order to get picked for the S class trials – He'd already failed to Mira and Erza (which was humiliating in itself), so he'd prefer not to be shown up again this time round…

 _'That's if I'm even picked this year…the look on my dad's face when he heard news of me failing…ugh, still gives me shivers.'_

Laxus' lips set into a straight line. If that meant he had to endure the crap end of the stick in jobs for a while longer – then so be it. But this year he'll be taking over a space in the S class ranks; he'll be as strong as his father. He'll become stronger than him even.

Laxus opened his eyes as he finished that thought of a sweet victory in the trials, just as thunder bellowed close, nearly too close to the guild hall, maybe even above it.

"Another storm? But I thought we were sitting pretty for a while!" Came a grumble of disapproval from an annoying little loudmouth standing on a table, fire spouting from his mouth as he showed his distaste in his usual loud fashion.

Whizzing and flying about him was a tiny little thing that Natsu, the pink haired boy now being restrained from the wrecking the place again, was Happy – a blue kitten that always seemed optimistic and painfully dumb; always going out of its way to shout "Aye!"

"My nose ain't lying, fire breath – And weren't you paying attention when I said a storm was brewing anyway? So quit whining, go play house with Lisanna or somethin'."

"Oh yeah?! Why don't we pass the time by fighting! Here I come!" Laxus sighed when he heard that over used phrase, it was now common to hear Natsu challenging the lightning mage whenever Grey wasn't around to fight, however…

He did get a slight kick when he beat that overzealous and trigger happy punk into the floorboards.

A large crash and snapping of wood made it clear who the winner was in seconds, after the small pink haired kid jumped up from behind where Laxus was sitting, his childish fist doused in flames and ready to strike – the teenager had spun on an axis and knocked Natsu flying with a static kick to the gut.

"that…all…ya…got..?" came a wheezing voice from the twitching, tiny body; his voice muffled from where his face had been planted into the cracked and broken table – his squeaky and determined voice only threatening to annoy the blonde teenager further. The other mages had already gone silent, watching with morbid curiosity to see the likely possibility of Laxus blasting the pink haired brat through the guilds double doors – It had happened once already, so everyone had made bets on how long it'd be before the next throw down showed the same results.

"Seems like we're gonna have to repair the tables again." Macao grumbled, taking a gulp of beer and watching idly by – he did not want to get in the way of those two hot heads, not for all the danger money in the world.

"Repair? Please. It's so splintered that the tables are a lost cause, old Master Makarov will just have to pay for new ones." His partner – Wakaba – Chuckled, voice raspy and strained as he puffed out smoke from his pipe; coughing loudly after taking a deep breath.

"Boy, he is not gonna like that."

"Well here's hoping the doors that'd been fitted last week don't get smashed again."

Just as the lightning mage stood and charged his own fist, a smirk etched onto his lips at the easy win – a large hand came down on them both, the two young mages yelping before being let out of their assailants grasp once the boys' magic had vanished in surprise.

 _ **"Stop now before I throw you two both in the ocean."**_

The booming voice sent a room filled with laughter and murmurs on the current and frequent fights had finished due to the hands of their own guild master – Makarov.

Fairytail's master was fierce, his power sometimes inhuman and most of the time unmatched in strength. He was the giant of the ten wizard saints. Many would hear rumours of Fairytail's master was nothing more than a ginormous beast, with a roar that'd send shivers down evildoers' spines – and dark, ominous eyes that saw justice would prevail with every path he walked. But most know him as the tiny and eccentric master of Fairytail, and caring to his children. Though one day he would probably get a heart attack from the amount of complaints he gets from the council.

Perched precariously on top of the guilds second floor railing stood a tiny man in flamboyant dress, his eye was twitching in irritation, and in his right hand he held a large stack of familiar looking magic council papers and complaint letters; the elderly man's irises were dilated as he squinted to see all of his children either lounging in the seats or searching for a job on the request board – a low, ominous growl emanating alongside a dark aura around his body.

For but a moment, the hall was deathly silent and eerie – no movement occurred.

"This is the third time this week that you have disrupted the council's patience! Have you all any idea how many letters of complaints I have been receiving over the course of the past few days?! Hundreds! Natsu, learn how to actually finish your jobs without setting fire to a village! Macao, Wakaba! Stop trying to hit on the ladies on every job you find yourself in! Mira! Erza! Never go on a job together again-"

"That was technically your fault Master." Yelled the shrill voice of FairyTail's resident demon, Mira's arms were crossed as she leaned back against the top of a seat whereas Erza – a red head of the same age as Mira and also an S class wizard, simply placed her hands on her hips after pushing a strand of scarlet hair from her eyes – Laxus had always found her strange and quiet. If he remembered correctly, the red head had managed to get here from some sort of run down place…if the way she looked when she arrived had anything to do with where she had come from.

 _ **"And it is a mistake I will never live down…"** _ Makarov grumbled. Between the two rival S class Mages, Erza and Mira-Jane had practically destroyed five villages, all because of an argument on their…hair…They're arguments and fights can be over things so petty and childish, Laxus never really understood girls at all if he was being honest.

 _'And here I thought I could get them to work together for once…those two girls cause more harm than good…'_

"Laxus!" Makarov called then, crossing his arms after crumpling the sheets of paper.

"Jeez. What did _**I**_ do to get your panties in a twist Gramps?" Came the reply from the Lightning mage, adjusting the spiked headphones so he could hear his grandfather, eyes narrowed.

"See me in the office, Laxus. I have a request for you." Was all that Makarov said to his grandson, watching the blonde with interest as confusion and then irritation swooped over Laxus' facial expressions, his lightning shaped scar pinching and contorting slightly as the blonde settled for a distasteful frown, reluctantly thundering down one of the guilds back corridors to a door he had memorised from being down there too many times to count.

The corridor was straight, and bland. It was a stark contrast to the colour of people that would amass in the guild hall day in and day out. Blue irises darted to look at the old, oak door with a golden magic plate that would hold the name and title of the guilds master for as long as he or she was in power of Fairytail. His grandfather's name seemed to glow mightily the longer he stared at it.

He wondered if one day that golden plate would show off his name like that.

"What did I do this time?" He growled as soon as he entered the room, slamming the door shut and awaiting his short grandfather's response.

The office was not as bland, however. It held shelves and bookcases that lined the left and right wall, showcasing the possessions, books and wisdom that had been journaled and memorised from the two masters before his family had taken over the leadership position for the guild.

At the wall opposite the door there was a large and plush looking red velvet chair, sitting comfortably a dark oak, magnificently carved desk that was littered with paper, books and scrolls – a clock, lamp and anything and everything that Master Makarov had accumulated today. A large window let in light on the wall behind the desk, showing off the storm in all its glory.

"Nothing, apart from one letter of complaint for striking a lightning bolt at the blue Pegasus guild hall-"

"The pervy geezer I met there deserved a little fright, so what?" Laxus muttered under his breath in defiance, Makarov sighing as he heard those sour words before continuing.

"As I was saying, boy. I have a request for a job that I wish for you to go on, I'm being nice here – that house in the outskirts of the city that you've been looking at for weeks now; the big one where you want to live with a team." Makarov unfolded a crumpled slip of paper with a particular job request printed on top.

"The reward for this job to take down an Ex-Baram alliance dark guild has the exact number of jewels you'll need to buy the place off the estate agency – and then a healthy amount to keep up the rent in your dorm for a few months before moving into that house. I told the estate agents to take that house off the market so any other buyers won't take an interest in the place whilst you're away on this mission – that is, If you'll take the request."

Laxus' eyes were wide as he scanned the job request, echoing the words on this paper to himself.

' _ **To whoever may be interested in this job, please help.**_

 _ **Villages and towns across the southern region of Fiore have been wiped out by a dark guilds activity with the goals to enslave others to do work and labour for them, many homes have been destroyed and many children orphaned – I myself am one of them.**_

 _ **If you're able to take up the task of eradicating DemonKing and their unruly injustice – I implore you to consider this request.**_

 _ **The reward money is the entirety of my family fortunes; I am only a child with no family to look after myself or the money. So it will be yours if you take on the task ahead.**_

 _ **Meet me at the Jade Cherry Park, Korlia town in the south of Fiore as soon as you possibly can.**_

 _ **My thanks if you're able to oblige my simple request.'**_

"H-How many Jewels!?" Laxus squawked – eyes bulging a little at the sum of money plastered onto the bottom of the thin paper, what the fuck?

"It appears this child is from a rich family, most likely since being orphaned has no need to keep the fortunes – it is strange since this boy did not say any details about himself, however it is apparent needs our help, and urgently." Makarov supplied, lips twitching slightly into a smile at his grandson's reaction.

"Yeah...I can see that…But this kid must be mental if he thinks giving away his entire family fortunes is right or even smart. Wouldn't it be easier for the guy to just use the money on himself? Since he's been orphaned?!" Laxus frowned, staring down and rereading the eloquently worded – though short – letter.

 _'This would mean I'd get that house huh? That's definitely a big bonus…especially when I start forming the strongest team I possibly can in Fairytail. It's got large land we can use for training – a kitchen and three bedrooms that could easily fit two per room. If memory serves me correct it's quite an ancient house…so it'd definitely need renovations…and all this money would create it into the perfect home for my future team…'_

"Well, I know you're thinking about this job however I need an answer now; I do not wish to send a job request that could do you some good to your father or any other wizard…This is an S class rated request." Makarov mumbled the last bit, Laxus looking up at him.

"An...S class…" he murmured, electric blue eyes lighting up just as a bold streak of crackling energy patterned beautifully across the window of Makarov's office – seemingly deciding for the lightning mage of what he was going to do.

The storm clouds swirled menacingly, its scent promising a destructive night, but Laxus had no care for that anymore, all he was focused on?

 **S CLASS.**

"You're breaking your own rules gramps, how come?"

"Because I believe that none of our current S class rated wizards will be capable of the job, not even your father." At this Laxus was surprised that his grandfather could actually say such a thing. He knew that Gildarts had not long gone on a century quest for the Master – and his father had been decimating the rest of the S class request board before the other two newer strong wizards (Mira and Erza) could even get to them. Though time and time again he could always hear the murmurs of his Guild Mates that Ivan Dreyar will one day bring harm and trouble to Fairytail through his ways of dealing with jobs. The lightning mage refused to believe that – Even if he himself admits to his father being a little sadistic at times when it comes to his bad days. However he wasn't great on good days either.

"Hmph…you can send a notice to that kid who wrote this – I'll be on my way tonight."

"Good, I'm glad you have chosen to take this job. I'm sure you'll make this poor boys day to see justice finally being served to that dark guild." Makarov gave Laxus a rare smile, crossing his arms.

"Uh huh, whatever. All I care about is the reward and a ticket to S class gramps." Laxus smirked and swiftly turned to exit the room. He didn't care about who ever this boy was; all he was glad of was that finally there wasn't a crap job to go on! He could get some cash whilst bashing a few dark guild heads in and then buy the place he so wishes to nurture and raise the strongest team in Fairytail! Even nature's thunder will quake when he forms them into the best guild mates he possibly can.

' _Let's do this.'_

After the door to the office slammed shut, Makarov sighed and slowly sunk into his chair; face slowly paling as he let himself grow comfortable. He had been tired all day; it's a wonder how he makes it through the week going through those hundreds of letters of complaints and fines and warnings from the magic council. It's also a wonder how his hand hasn't dropped off from the hundreds of apology letters and cheques to send back to the fines throughout the weeks.

' _I do hope Laxus does at least show the boy some sympathy…Something about this request gave me an odd feeling however…It's too late now – I know how much Laxus want's that house. I'm sure he'll do fine on this job. Hopefully he doesn't destroy an entire city.'_

"Who am I kidding?" The master whined in defeat, head clunking onto the desk as his shoulders slumped, the elderly man was running only on fumes these days.

"Of course somethings going to get destroyed. It's always the guild I run that over does everything…"

 ** _-/Later in the evening.\\-_**

Laxus gulped down the bile already rising up his throat.

Magnolia train station always set him on edge when he had to go on jobs, however he wasn't so bad as the lightning was still booming overhead – its bolts and streaks can give him a snack if he gets too nervous.

It's just a damn train, nothing to worry about…only an overnight and then five hour long day trip to his destination…

' _God, the journey's gonna kill me before the fucking dark guild has a chance at trying to put me down.'_

As thunder bellowed and roared once more, the faint whistle of an oncoming train could just be heard; the chugging and chuffing of a steam train slowly braking and squeaking on the station rails.

Very few people walked out of the carriage, he didn't blame the people being put off by travel today though – despite the trains having weather protection lacrima's installed it was still a little shit to travel in such grey weather.

Laxus preferred it, however. The fact that very few can see the mess he becomes when on a moving vehicle ensured his pride and dignity was intact.

Still didn't stop his torture though.

"Come on, just think of the reward. And the S class…" He mumbled to himself, taking his ticket and boarding the metal machine of motion and death with a reluctant sigh, bracing himself for movement.

The particular carriage had small, seating rooms, with places where he could place his luggage and lie down if he needed to. With a small sigh after hearing the whistle once more, the lightning mage placed his items and bags on the seats opposite before changing his music to a more calming, classical flute playlist to settle his stomach as much as possible.

The carriage in itself wasn't uncomfortable, the seats were sufficient enough to lie on and slightly too scratchy to be overly comforting to relax on – however it was enough for Laxus; it'd probably be the most luxurious bed he'd be sleeping on for quite a while.

To try and distract himself from throwing up and causing a mess, the blonde took out the job request and reread the writing a few times over.

"What have I gotten myself into…?" He grumbled through the hand that he had clamped over his mouth; eyes going slightly hazy.

' _Ugh…trains rocking…too much…it's gonna be a long trip…'_

 _ **-Korlia Train Station.-**_

Laxus was sure his stomach had flown out the window after the fourth hour of the last train ride to this down trodden town.

No offense to the boy that had requested help, but he had never heard of this town before, nor that it was actually quite prosperous before these attacks started. The lightning mage could already see the damage and hits that this town had been taking from the dark guild that has been ruling the roost for the past…month and a half if he heard the conductor of the first train he'd been on correctly.

Nowadays the town had been cut off from most transport, the train that Laxus had first been on had also informed him that they were frightened of pulling into the station for fear of the dark guild "DemonKing" So the annoyed blonde ended up finding an old and decrepit train to ride in (the old and wily looking conductor decided to have him pay nearly all his jewels to get there – damn ratty bastard.)

However, now the problem was finding his way around the downward spiralling town.

After walking through the station and to the front roads, the blonde noted silently all of the details of this place. It was run down – that was for sure. The once beautiful fountain that he saw when exiting the station grounds stood crumbling, faded memories of its past now long gone. In its place were weeds and ivy reclaiming the earth through the cobbled, once quaint roads; many homes and shops boarded up and closed – most buildings were knocked over or completely obliterated that he couldn't even recognise or distinguish what those places may have looked like.

"Man…this dark guild ain't messing about…" He grumbled to himself, padding down the derelict streets to the park where he'd been told to meet with the boy who called for help.

As Laxus made his way to the specific location; he kept his eyes sharp and peeled for any signs of movement, in case anything were to move in a hostile or unfriendly way toward him. The skies were void of clouds, rays of sunlight beating down heavily upon the lone mage walking toward a once luscious and perfect park in the centre of the abandoned town.

Finally, he found the statue the small print of the paper asked him to stay by – So that the boy could find him. The teenager had to wonder what this boy would be like; would he be overly thankful and gushing his praise (Laxus hoped not) or standoffish until he gained trust. The words printed described the boy a little already – he seemed well educated, maybe not even too young. Laxus estimated that this boy would only be a little younger than him.

' _I guess that won't be too bad.'_

Sudden movement jolted Laxus out of his thoughts, Sharp blue irises narrowing down the movement to a trembling bush beside the statue.

"Tch, I can see ya – come out so I can see who you are." He ordered harshly, eyes narrowed as slowly, small branches, leaves and twigs parted to reveal a short figure, small frame shrouded in a dark green camouflage cloak that was way too big for whomever Laxus had found.

"U-Uhm…Are you…A guild member..?" Came a meek, trembling voice from behind the bush, Laxus' guard dropping – only slightly. This was the boy?

"What if I am?" the teenager started, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-You're holding…my request…S-So you came to help." He replied quietly, the boy seemed to be trembling violently under the cloak, Laxus noted – huffing.

"I don't bite. Take off the cloak so I can see you. What's your name kid?" Laxus asked, sitting down and crossing his legs. He let his back rest against the cool, cracked marble of the once elaborate statue that may have gleamed in this sort of weather with pride, Once upon a time. Watching the kid with interest, a small, pale and thin hand crawled up to the button holding the boys cloak together, fumbling with his trembling fingers. Another hand slithered up to his hood – finally revealing his face.

It was definitely not what Laxus had expected.

Short, messy and unkempt green hair was cut just under the chin, though large strands spiked out in curved directions, It seemed to flow and move along with the tremors. That was getting annoying for Laxus. (He wasn't that scary was he?) Two strands of hair on his head stuck up like static lightning bolts – shaped that way too. The right side of the boy's eyes was completely covered in a messy fringe; childish looking, face pale and sullen from lack of nutrition – Dark bags under his eyes.

He looked too mature to be a mere boy – Laxus could tell by the way this kid seemed to hold himself, despite his constant trembles.

Cyan blue eyes looked at the guild mage that the boy had called upon; his cracked and split lips pulling up into a relieved smile.

"F-Finally…" He managed to croak, slumping down onto the ground and crawling up to sit opposite the mage. He found the teenager quite interesting to look at – from the lightning bolt scar on his face to his electric blue eyes and even the clothes he was wearing; the boy found every detail intriguing.

"M-may I ask your name. Please? I don't…have one…"

"Tch, I call bullshit on that." Laxus retorted, the boy flinching at the foul language and gulping. He observed as one of the mages eyebrows raised slightly, head tilting and displacing his spiked headphones.  
"Fine. My names Laxus. But I don't believe it when you say you have no name." He added, crossing his arms.

"Well…it's true. I've never thought of one for myself…T-The villagers c-c-called me Nanashi for a short time before…this happened…" The boy motioned to the town. "Nanashi means N-No name…Since I'm an orphan…"

"Well that name sounds a little depressing." Laxus grumbled, before petting the green haired boy's hair, a tug of a reassuring smile on his lips to try and calm this obviously scared boy.

"I'll have to think up of a name for you during this mission. However from now on I hereby name you Greeny."

"U-Uh..." Greeny blinked a few times at the name, before fiddling with his hair. He knew his hair made him stand out…but being called that was a little unsurprising (And uh…unoriginal) to say the least. Greeny looked back up at the Mage.

"Okay…Laxus. I'll l-let you call me…that…" he mumbled, before standing and grabbing for his cloak again. "I-I think…we should get out of here…please…D-Dark guild could b-be anywhere…"

With a curt nod, Laxus stood. He waited for Greeny to place his too large cloak over his shoulders, before grabbing the boys hand and pulling him down the street.

"Direct me to wherever you're staying and we can talk there about the mission. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

Greeny gave a small smile, glad that finally. After waiting for so long…Finally he was going to be okay.

 _In the year 776x Laxus met the boy who had desperately requested a guilds help to take down the dark guild known as "DemonKing" – It was a guild obsessed with their king being the reincarnation of Zeref himself; and would do anything and everything if their "king" commanded it to happen. From killing to raids to utter destruction of homes and towns. This boy was interesting to the lightning mage; despite having only just met. It was going to be a long journey for them both in the months ahead. Many surprises, people and twists in their stories as slowly their lives would intertwine. However neither of them knew that they wouldn't be parting ways any time soon._

 _Freeds Journal – 20th July. Year 791x._


	2. Chapter 2

_It wasn't long before Laxus Dreyar could notice, could_ _ **feel**_ _, that something was off, from how lifeless the town had become, to even the boy himself. It was a puzzle that was slightly starting to reveal itself to the ambitious teenager; each jigsaw piece scattered amongst hurdles that the pair had yet to reach and conquer before being able to piece together what was going to unfold. However their peace is only going to last, for so long. Soon enough, the two will realise just how deeply they've fallen into the dark guilds mysterious plans._

 _Freeds Journal – 21_ _st_ _July. Year 791x._

The small trip to where the green haired boy had been hiding out wasn't that long a trip from the towns' crumbling park; no life could be sensed at all apart from the young child in front of Laxus. It honestly confused him that he couldn't sense anything other than Greeny; who had grown quiet and reserved, shoulder set in a sharp line. It was so quiet that the rustling of the large cloak that the boy insisted on keeping draped over his body was the only thing keeping Laxus from going insane at how silent the place really was. It seemed out of place that no other being, human or otherwise could be seen; maybe they had all left and fled the town after a huge raid had happened – which would explain how the land was reclaiming the ruined structures around them both – but it was certainly something that unsettled the lightning mage.

The blonde's confusion only grew as they walked further and further to the outskirts of Korlia, the decayed and weathered buildings more spaced out and organised. Laxus stopped short of bumping into Greeny when the kid's footsteps ceased – electric eyes blinking blankly down as a blur of green darted into one of the aforementioned buildings; what would have been a book store, it seemed.

A little more wary of entering the old place, the teenager's footsteps creaked loudly as he gaze roamed over every detail he could find. The air was musty and assaulted Laxus' nose as he withdrew from the slightly unhinged door, eyes glancing to the books stacked in large piles and columns that seemed to sway; the blonde was slightly surprised that they hadn't toppled from being stacked so much. However none of the books seemed to have been in any state of ruin, dust barely covered the tops of the hardbacks as he routed through shelves; arching a brow as he noted many of the magic books were more worn down, the parchment yellowed from being handled often.

This place was more or less lived in; despite its noteworthy look of being just as abandoned as the rest of the town.

"So" The blonde finally decided to break the silence that had fallen between the two, shifting uncomfortably. "Wanna tell me what the fuck happened to this town?" He grumbled sharply, tapping his foot on a groaning floor board.

A small glint of amusement stirred when the boy jolted at the question, as though Greeny had completely forgotten he had company – Maybe Laxus had phrased his words too harshly, oh well.

"O-oh. Well, I'm sure you would have guessed that it was destroyed by now. The people native to this area fled, fearing the magic that the dark guild wielded, I'm the only one left." The boy murmured, lowering the hood with a pale hand, large eyes glancing up. "Would you mind telling me why you took this quest? I had…Expected someone more akin to a mature adult picking up this job…No offense to you of course, I'm sure you're a powerful mage." Greeny frowned, tilting his head for a moment, before blowing away a few strands out of his eyes.

Laxus blinked for a second, running the question through his head and turning his body toward the door with a sharp huff at that. "I was sent on this mission by my guilds master. But hey, if you'd like a mature adult wizard to come and save this creepy place then I'll head back to the station-"

"Don't go!"

The blonde stopped short of walking out of the building, as much as it was tempting to go outside and make good on his words, he found himself falling short when the boy pleaded and cut him off from finishing. Glancing back, he noticed how wide his eyes had become; fearful of his hope leaving already.

' _Ugh, whatever. This is for the money, and the S class…and to show up my old man after the disappointment of last year's trials…'_

On closer inspection, the boy was shaking slightly under the cloak, lips quivering as he tried to regain his composure. He was being a little harsh again, shit.

"M-my apologies for that…but please, I'm begging you. Don't go." He finally murmured, bowing his head as he worried his lip between his teeth.

"I wasn't gonna, so stop ya whining." Laxus rolled his eyes when the boy shot up straight with a relieved smile, finally reaching up to undo his cloak. With a short sigh, the blonde turned away from the book store's exit, shuffling around the musty room he inspected the shelves again, turning every so often to check up on what Greeny was doing.

"You an avid reader, I'm guessing?" Laxus asked after the room fell into an awkward silence, ruffling his hair, eyes narrowing on the bookmarks riddling the pages of a smaller stack of texts. All of them - the blonde noticed – were to do with some type of magic. His question hung in the air, met with silence before Greeny final replied, his voice more or less subdued to that of a murmur.

"I guess you could say that, I was interested as to why magic books were being kept in this bookstore's loft. From what I know this town is against all forms of magic's…the rune books interested me."

' _An anti-magic group being attacked by a dark guild…I guess it seems plausible.'_

"Huh, maybe the guy who owned the place was magic or something then." Laxus uttered under his breath with a short, bored shrug. The place fell silent again.

It remained that way, no other sounds disturbing the two as they continued they're on thing, the faint tinny sound of music could be heard vaguely from Laxus' headphones, however the boy had gotten lost into a world of a book he was reading to care; his whole focus on reading through the runic translations in his head.

Laxus had to admit, watching a young boy read something obviously aimed for adults did seem strange, maybe it was because he was well educated; but he seemed to have this subtle ability to seem older and more mature than he should be. Maybe that was why he was a little surprised when it was Laxus who had turned up to complete the job; the boy wouldn't be able to make 'Mature' conversation. It still irked Laxus. He could be mature when he wanted to be.

' _Yeah…because doing this job because of the money and the fast track to an S class is mature…'_

A grumble of annoyance brought Laxus back into the room and away from his thoughts, arching a brow as he watched Greeny, snap the book shut, a thumb and forefinger holding the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Uh…what's the matter with ya?"

"Nothing…I am perfectly fine." The boy replied, albeit more monotonously than Laxus had expected. With a sigh, the blonde perched on what looked to be a dusty stool in front of the kid, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, like I believe that. Now, how about you stop sticking your nose in a book full of gibberish and actually tell me what to do and how I need to complete this damn job." Laxus had leaned forward a little more, a frown on his face when the boy blinked widely at him.

"The job?" Greeny blinked for a moment, as though he had completely forgotten; before shaking his head quickly.

"Y-Yes, that. I-I'll try and run through as much as I can before nightfall." He muttered quickly, warily looking through the gaps of the shops bordered up display windows. Laxus took note of the boy's sudden unease, shifting in his stool.

"The dark guild has been causing trouble, destroying villages and towns such as this one; every place I seek shelter, they gravitate toward it and destroy it by orders of their 'king'. I-I don't know their motives, but they seem to be growing in numbers and in strength." The boy murmured gently, looking away from the broken glass panes and setting his sights on the wizard mage.

Laxus didn't seem to be all that bad, the boy concluded. However he did seem quite conceited and up himself; he obviously didn't pick up the job and decide to go on it without a push; that much the boy knew of course.

But he was getting desperate; something about him was obviously the reason why the dark guild was destroying all these places without much thought. He felt trapped in an endless, lonely cycle; fighting to live for tomorrow, hiding and trembling in fear of being caught by the people terrorising his life and the lives of many others.

A subtle breeze chilled the room, the must becoming more bearable as Laxus stood. The blonde quietly padded beside Greeny, ruffling his hair after he knelt down with a confident smirk.

"I don't care about their motives, but I sure as hell care about kicking their ass." His smirk widened into the best reassuring grin he could muster; he needed to help this kid. So one of the best things he could do first would be to give him the confidence that they would win.

It seemed to have worked too; Greeny's eyes lit up – Laxus swore the cyan irises did become brighter – a smile etching onto the boys pale face as he nodded quickly in agreement.

"Okay! I'll put all my faith in you then!" The boy sighed gratefully, about to say something when he was interrupted by a low, demonic sounding growl coming from his stomach.

"I'm guessing you don't have much access to food; do you?" Laxus sighed gently, watching the boys' shoulders slump.

"I-I haven't really eaten for a while." He mumbled under his breath, tugging on the hem of an equally oversized shirt; Laxus hadn't exactly taken in what Greeny was wearing, but it seemed as though he was wearing clothes that would be worn by an adult, not a mere child. Thinking nothing of it, the blonde nodded – stretching his arms and heading toward the door.

"w-what are you doing?" Greeny asked suddenly, latching onto Laxus' arms and pulling them away from the door handle before he could touch the slightly rusted metal.

"Uh-"

"y-you can't go out there! We have to wait for it to be over before we can!" The shorter boy said hurriedly, placing a firm hand on the door, as though he were possessive over the very thing keeping them from going outside and onto the street. Laxus was taken aback by how suddenly the boy had appeared before him, pushing him with a force that seemed slightly too strong for a twelve year old to be able to use. Once again, the lightning mage felt unsettled.

"What do you mean, you're hungry. You'll only grow sick if you stop yourself gathering food…and what the hell do we have to wait out? You're making no sense, Greeny." 

"Please...Let's just stave off from gathering food for tonight, we've wasted too much time for it to be safe." The boys lips had begun to quiver again, a shiver wracking his body.

"Th-they come out at night…preying on any unsuspecting soul who happens to be passing th-through…" He trembled as he stammered, before shaking his head to and fro so quickly Laxus feared he would snap his neck.

"…Calm it. We'll just get ready to sleep then…" Laxus murmured slowly, coaxing Greeny away from the door and towards the rear end of the store's room.

"O-okay…" The boy mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he reached for another book filled with gibberish, taking his cloak and darting up a small ladder, to which lead to a balcony that seemed filled to the brim with storage boxes at the back of the room.

Odd. Laxus hadn't noticed that.

"S-sleep where you like, but it's warmer up h-here." The blonde looked up to see where the boys voice had come from, noticing him nestled in between two of the identical beige boxes, hair poking out of the metal grates of a railing as he grabbed two curtains to use as makeshift blanket and a makeshift pillow. With a short sigh, Laxus clambered up the rusted step ladder that was leaning against the wall, ducking low and crouching to avoid bumping his head on the slanted roof.

The sound of shuffling alerted Laxus to the small form curling up under the curtains (which were a distasteful colour of a murky brown) eyes glancing up to the mage briefly before settling on staring at the cracks and whorls in the wooden planks and beams.

Laxus shuffled over to lay beside the boy, hands placed so that he could rest his head on them.

"You really like reading about that gibberish, don't you." He mumbled under his breath, noting the book that Greeny had clasped in his hands, knuckles going white he was clutching it so hard.

"Th-this book is a special one…It's from my old family library. I've read it quite a few times and know everything in it. My family weren't magic users. Not particularly fond of it either; however they did let me try it myself." He mumbled back, shuffling closer to Laxus and offering some of the curtain.

"I'm a little unsure as to why they let me, but I think they were trying to prove a point that magic wasn't as fun as I thought it would be." He added, fingers stroking and toying with the edges of the yellowing and faded parchment of the pages, chewing his lip.

"Funny, it's one of the few things I remember about my parents…or even of my life before the DemonKing attacked. Most of its hazy." He added, this time his soft, lilting words accompanied by a yawn.

"Hm. It might just be due to the fact you've had all this strain and stress to survive for so long." Laxus watched with slight amusement as the boys head nodded groggily, blinking as the tired figure slumped closer to the lightning mage.

"yeah, it might be that…But I'm gonna try and keeo this book close to me, keep it safe…" His voice was merely a whisper; leaving no room for Laxus to reply as he curled into a ball.

"Yeah, but you should try and sleep if you're getting tired, I'll stay awake for a little while incase I hear anything that seems off." He replied, watching the boy nod and slowly draw closer to Laxus for more warmth, he was soon snoring softly.

"Goodnight, Greeny." The lightning mage uttered, his only reply a sleepy mumble as he lifted a hand to ruffle the boys soft hair; the blonde not even thinking as he took half the curtain that had been offered to him, still awake and alert as he lifted the slightly scratchy material over his body.

' _it's gonna be a long night. Ain't it.'_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

It was the loud noises, wails and howls and a blood curdling scream that Laxus awoke to, disorientated as he shot up and hit his head on one of the low rafters of the slanted ceiling. He was trying to regain his bearings, a hand clutching the cool metal of a railing to stop the room from spinning. It was too hot, beads of sweat dripping from the pores of Laxus' skin; he felt as though he was being roasted alive.

Groggy eyes blinked rapidly to rid the gunk that blurred his vision, chest heaving as he glanced around the merging beige brown boxes of the storage loft that he had slept in that night. Something felt out of place though, harsh morning sunlight filtered in through the boxes in straight, sharp lines, reminding the blonde mage of daggers as his line of sight drifted to the mess of brown curtains and torn up cloak.

"Wait….G-Greeny…where..?" Laxus croaked, eyes widening at the notable absence of the younger boy, coughing as he tried to breathe in, only resulting in a lungful of smoke, pooling and swirling above his head like thunder clouds. He spluttered and coughed, shaking as he dropped low to the ground and gasped for air, eyes narrowing as he noticed the familiar book, the one that the boy had been holding slowly singe where it lay open and sprawled on the wooden planks of the loft.

Maybe the term 'Roasted alive' wasn't that far from the truth.

The place was burning. Ancient looking tomes, books and texts that Laxus had sifted through the day before slowly burning to a crisp, soon to become a pile of ashes. And if the lightning mage wasn't careful, he'd share the same fate.

"oi! Greeny!" Laxus shouted as loudly as he could, above the roar of the fire. His sharp ears tried to pinpoint the source of another startled shout, the blonde springing into action.

He hesitated only for a moment to grab the book that the boy had been clutching the night before, jumping down from the loft and tumbling into a pile of books and loose papers that were still spared from the fire for a few moments. Grimacing, he scrambled to his feet and lunged at the short silhouette of the boy, attempting to pull Greeny away from the flames licking dangerously close to them both.

Except that he couldn't, his hands bashed an invisible wall, eyes going wide as electric blue irises watched as the wall was revealed.

Deep purple runes, coiling and convulsing like wisps of smoke lined up into a small square around Greeny. The shapes shimmered and faded in and out of existence. The boy curled into a ball and covered his face in fear. The weird shapes and runes overlapped each other in a mess, unorganised and seemingly unstable and weak as Laxus bashed and knocked his weight against the writings over and over.

"g-g-get me out of here!" his distressed shout was muffled, hands trembling as he covered his ears.

"I can't, what the hell are these things!" Laxus' voice was muffled against the flames edging closer, crawling and licking the hard wood floor as though it had never eaten; its hunger endless and forever unsatisfied. The blonde's shout fell on deaf ears, however – the green haired boy trembling, the runes glowing brightly as he tried to curl more and more, making it seem as though he was becoming smaller and smaller. Laxus could hear a repeated phrase mumbled by the boy, frowning as he caught the words.

" _ **No one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment no one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment no one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment no one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment no one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment no one will be hurt within the bounds of this enchantment…"**_

"Snap out of it Greeny, right now!" Laxus growled above the noise of the fire as he bashed the wall once more; however his fist was crackling and convulsing with untainted, bright and pure electricity. Yellow streaks bolted and darted around the wall, dancing and curling around the runes until they shattered completely. The glimmering purple shards that fell like snow would have looked pretty, if they weren't in the situation they were in right now.

Without a word to the boy, the lightning mage swiftly scooped up the quivering ball in his arms and raced to the door, tackling it head on and watching the door unhinge completely. He raced to the middle of the street, only releasing his hold on Greeny when he was sure that the fire wouldn't reach them in the middle of the cracked and disused road.

It was not just the bookstore that had been set alight, nearly all the buildings surrounding them were ablaze and crumbling into the shades of oranges and reads; metal signs white and melting from the intensity of the heat. They partially covered by the ash and soot that had fallen during their escape, Laxus' eyes stinging as he blinked rapidly to focus on Greeny beside him.

"Hey…look at me, we're fine." He murmured, pulling the boy so he was sitting up, small chest heaving.

"You're okay." He murmured over and over again, looking back at the fire with a frown. He definitely sensed that the fire had a magical source; it held a similar sort of scent that equalled to either Macao's or Natsu's flames. That much he knew. He also guessed it had something to do with the Dark Guild he was meant to be taking down.

A growl escaped past his lips as he stood, blinking down at his companion and then to the book he still held tightly.

"I managed to grab this, Greeny. If that helps to calm you down at all." He murmured again, passing the book to the younger male. The boy nodded quickly and held his book tightly to his chest, taking in a deep breath.

"Y-yeah…thank you." He finally croaked, glancing up at Laxus with wide, deer like eyes.

The blonde mage nodded gently, offering his hand and helping the shorter boy up and onto his feet. The two soon grew quiet as they watched the flames, before Laxus decided to leave them in the direction of the large forest spanning the horizon of the west.

"So…That magic." Laxus murmured after the silence between the two became unbearable. "You were repeating something about an enchantment when you were trapped in those weird runes." He added, eyes softening as he glanced to the green haired boy, who had flinched when the lightning mage mentioned it.

"Yes...I realised it was me doing those things a while back, I-It usually happens when I end up in a situation…m-most of the time I barely remember even using runes to protect me…I-I don't like it; it's weird and it feels like I can't control myself when…s-something like **that** happens…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

The silence fell again, as did the coolness of the shade when the two finally reached the cover of emerald leaves shivering in the breeze.

"Well, look on the bright side. That makes you a mage; magic is a lot of fun when you get the hang of it." Laxus elbowed the boys shoulder good naturedly after they slumped down against a large oak tree trunk, chests still heaving.

"If you'd like…When this job's over. I can take you back to our guild hall. Someone might be able to help you there." The blonde added, looking to his left and smiling a little.

Greeny couldn't help but match that slight smile.

"Y-yeah, I'd like that."

 _Something was stirring when the fire broke out, a set of silver eyes watching. Waiting patiently as they eyed the prey. Targets. The companions were never as alone as first thought. And they would realise eventually the puppet master pulling the strings, planning out the slow build of drawing the two closer, planning their next move and how to tie them, pull them closer and deeper into the grasp of the Dark guild. Let the pieces of the puzzle, start settling into place._

 _Freeds Journal, 21_ _st_ _July. Year 791x._


End file.
